


Cry Me a River of Gold

by Kamidani



Series: A Different Time, A Different Story [3]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-17 02:16:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18955861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kamidani/pseuds/Kamidani
Summary: Training under Aqua hasn't been boring since the moment Sora agreed to stay at the Land of Departure. He's determined to prove he has what it takes to be a Master, although there are some secrets that he'd rather keep quiet. But if letting them go is what it takes to save a friend? Then maybe it's time for them to come to light.





	Cry Me a River of Gold

**Author's Note:**

> Oh hey would you look at that, angst and Anti forms, my two favorite things! :D

As it turned out, having three incredibly powerful and accident prone children all training under the same roof with weapons capable of mass destruction tended to create- well. 

 

Accidents. 

 

"For the record," Sora pointed out, half crushed under the rubble of what had once been a storage shed for training supplies, "that was Roxas's fault."

 

"Get real!" his twin laughed. "Not my fault you can't dodge."

 

"You threw a rock at my head, then hit me when I ducked!" the brunet yelled, shooting a grateful smile as Aqua began to levitate the chunks of stone off of him. "Not even like, a magic boulder. Just a normal ass rock. That's  _ cheating! _ " 

 

" _ Language! _ " Aqua scolded. Sora rolled his eyes and said something else, in that odd Islander language that none of them could make heads or tails of. She whacked him behind the ear, suppressing a grin. "You know what I meant."

 

"I can't get in trouble if I swear in a different language," Sora pointed out. 

 

Ven, from his safe vantage point  _ waaaaay _ across the courtyard, barked out a laugh. "Sorry, I've tried that! Aqua knows. Aqua  _ always _ knows." He shuddered, and Terra, who had very wisely taken a seat next to him, elbowed him.

 

"You should have known better than to pick a language Aqua had already studied." He watched with a furrowed brow as Sora pulled himself out of the rubble, dusting himself off with only a little stiffness. No major injuries, then. "And, uh, I'm glad you guys are taking the training seriously, but did you have to destroy the shed? Roxas, you didn't have to use Sora as a wrecking ball." 

 

"I'm not apologizing for excellence, Terra," Roxas insisted. 

 

"You only threw the rock cause you were losing," Sora grumbled, limping over to Roxas and punching him in the arm. Roxas spared a moment to drop his smug grin and look over Sora's bruises. The brunet leaned against him with a sigh, and Roxas rolled his eyes before throwing an arm over his shoulders.

 

"I should have the advantage simply because I have more Keyblades," he grumbled. "I've gotta beat you  _ sometime _ ." Sora chuckled, throwing his arm over Roxas and unabashedly using him as a crutch.

 

"In terms of pure strength, you're actually way better than me," Sora pointed out as Roxas helped him over to where Ven and Terra sat. "I'm just really,  _ really _ good at dodging. When you did land a solid hit, I immediately went down. If you get faster than me, I'm toast."

 

"I suppose you've got a point," Roxas agreed with a grunt. "But in a real fight you would have been right back on your feet. You wouldn't have waited to let Aqua help you out." Aqua, who had very much been under the impression that Sora was down for the count, froze.

 

"You were under a building, Sora." She pursed her lips in consternation, but also quiet pride. "How would you have gotten up from that?"

 

"Graviga to lift the stones, and Watera to keep Roxas back and give myself some time to get out," Sora mused. "By that point, I would have just enough magic left to heal myself. I'd have to wait before I'd be able to cast any more spells, but I recharge pretty fast, and Roxas sucks at magic anyways so it's not like I'd be at a disadvantage." Terra whistled, impressed.

 

"Shoulda left them to hash it out, Aqua," he called. "They're a scrappy couple of kids." Ven passed a potion over to Sora, who downed it with a wince. Potions, as usual, tasted like grass and misery. 

 

"First off, being thrown  _ through _ a building is a perfectly acceptable reason to call off a spar," she sniffed. "Second of all, while your quick thinking is appreciated, I would also appreciate if you  _ didn't  _ throw any rocks at Sora's head. Keyblades and magic  _ only _ , please."

 

"It's not my fault you don't understand genius," Roxas sighed. Aqua gave him a look, and he shrank back, smiling guiltily. "But I hear ya. Loud and clear, Master Aqua." He saluted, only half mockingly, and Ven, with a deep sigh, reached over and pushed his hand down. 

 

"You two are the  _ worst _ ." 

 

"Speak for yourself. I'm not the one who tripped over my own Keyblade." Sora wiped his mouth with the back of his arm, grinning wildly. 

 

"That doesn't count! First off, it was  _ your _ Keyblade, I was just trying it out. Secondly, I'm not used to holding it forward, and it was shaped too oddly to wield backhand!"

 

"Sounds like an excuse to me," Roxas mumbled. Before Ven could reach over and smack him, Terra stuck an arm between them.

 

"That's enough of that." With almost embarrassing ease, Terra picked Roxas up and lifted him across to his other side, making himself a physical barrier between the identical blonds. Sora, who was still sitting next to Ven, snickered at the offended pout on Roxas's face. 

 

"Well, seeing as there are no  _ actual _ injuries," Aqua said with a stern glare, "Sora, you ready for another round? I still want to put you through your paces." Sora shrugged and rose to his feet in one fluid motion.

 

"I'm good for another round," he agreed. He stretched lithely, rising up onto his toes before dropping back down, rocking back and forth excitedly. "So, who am I up against? I haven't gotten to spar against you or Ven yet."

 

"You'll have your chance," she promised. "But I want to see you spar with Terra again. No magic this time either, I want to see how you do against an opponent when you're at a complete disadvantage. Terra is stronger, sturdier, and has the benefit of years of training under an accomplished Master. Not to mention he has much longer reach. Think you're up to the challenge?"

 

"Not even cure magic?" Sora whined. Aqua shook her head, and he threw his head back and groaned. "Well, this is gonna suck."

 

"This is what you get for depending on magic the last time we sparred," Terra informed him glibly. "Now you gotta do it the hard way." 

 

_ He knows what you did. _

 

The young man blinked, shaking away the odd thought. He rose to his feet as well, but where Sora had been all light, breezy grace, Terra moved like a stone monolith, his movements measured and heavy with the promise of strength. Roxas and Ven immediately scooched next to each other once Terra was out of the way, leaning close so they could talk without being overheard. From the steps to the entrance to the castle, Chirithy looked on, while Ven's darker half sulked next to them.

 

Vanitas had been an unexpected addition to their little group of aspiring Keyblade wielders, but not an entirely unwelcome one. Ven had been a staunch if quiet advocate for giving him a second chance, and Sora had been a very loud one. With their combined might, Aqua had caved and allowed him to stick around.

 

He was technically on probation, but that didn't stop him from watching their training sessions. Every once in a while he'd even offer commentary. It was generally just sarcastic advice or jibes at Sora's somewhat sloppy form, but hidden in the insults was genuinely good counsel. After all, even if Xehanort had been a cruel Master, his knowledge of the Keyblade was undeniable.

 

"Oi, dorkupine!" he yelled from the steps. Sora spun to face him, walking backwards towards the center of the courtyard with Terra. "Kick his ass!" Sora shot him a thumbs up.

 

"You got it, Vani!" He twisted to face Terra, eyeing him critically for a moment. He turned to look at Aqua. "Can I switch Keyblades, or you want me to stick with just one?" Aqua hummed in thought, crossing her arms.

 

"Just one Keyblade," she decided. Sora's ability to switch Keyblades on a whim had been a shock to all of them. It had just never been  _ done _ before. But neither had anyone ever fought with two Keyblades at once, which Roxas did with ease. All in all, the new generation of wielders was pulling out all sorts of new tricks. "But you're free to use whatever transformations that come with it. Same for you, Terra. Make him work for it."

 

"I feel like I'm going to be sore after this," Sora grumbled. Roxas  _ immediately  _ put on a shit eating grin.

 

"Oh, so you're gonna be-"

 

" _ Don't- _ "

 

" _ Sore- _ a?" Sora threw his head back and laughed and groaned in tandem, while Ven stared blankly for a few seconds, brow furrowed in confusion.

 

"What do you- oh.  _ Ooooooh _ ." He buried his face in his hands. " _ Roooxas, whyyyyy? _ " Sora shot a grin over at the two.

 

"Cause it's funny, that's why."

 

"Don't encourage him," Aqua said flatly. Sora finally faced Terra fully. His much taller opponent summoned Ends of the Earth, giving the mighty blade one experimental swing. It hummed through the air with deadly power, and Sora settled on the balls of his feet, eyes firmly trained on Terra.

 

"Ready when you are," he announced. Terra eyed his lack of a weapon, but settled into his own battle stance. Aqua lifted her hands, and magic gathered in lazy spirals around her fingertips. She cast a barrier around their little arena, smiling tightly as she did.

 

"No more broken buildings," she explained. "Are you both ready?" At their eager nods, she dropped her hands. "Then begin!" 

 

For once, Terra moved before Sora could close the distance. He lunged forward, stabbing his blade straight at Sora. The smaller boy leapt straight back, keeping his eyes fixed on Terra's eyes to try and predict his next move. So he was totally unprepared when Terra's Keyblade  _ stretched _ , striking at him like a snake and wrapping around his upper arm. Sora hissed in pain, bracing himself as the teeth of the key bit into the flesh of his arm. Terra yanked, and Sora went flying over him and across the courtyard, looking like a ragdoll as his small weight was dragged by the whip's grip. When it released, Sora righted himself in midair, skidding to halt and placing one hand on the ground for stability. Terra gave him no time to catch his breath, and immediately rushed forward, winding up for another swing. The same trick wouldn't work twice, though.

 

This time, when the whip came cracking through the air, the distinctive blues and swirls of Sora's Shooting Star keyblade caught it. Terra pulled again, but Sora simply let go of his blade, and Terra stumbled back when there was no resistance to balance him. Sora took advantage of his brief moment of vulnerability and dashed forward, calling his blade back to his hands.

 

Another trick that was difficult for the original wielders to duplicate. Sora's blades came whenever he called, no matter what bound them. 

 

Terra managed to bring his Keyblade up to block in time, and Sora ricocheted off him, sliding backwards. This time, he pressed the offensive, darting back and forth around Terra and testing his defense. All was silent except for the clashing of blades, and the breathing of the two combatants. After Terra's initial assault, neither had landed a good hit, though Sora's left arm bled sluggishly. 

 

Sora's strategy was simple: get in close where Terra's impressive reach and strength couldn't as easily be used against him. If he could get inside his range of attack he'd be almost completely defenseless. However, Terra's defense was impeccable, and Sora's every attempt was thwarted by the sheer reach and might of his blade. But Sora was far too nimble to be caught by any of Terra's great, ponderous swings, leaving them at a sort of stalemate. 

 

After a few fruitless minutes of trading blows, Sora leapt back until he hit the barrier, his chest heaving with exertion. Terra was gasping too, but he felt confident in his ability to outlast the smaller wielder. So, he was slightly confused when Sora let his whole body relax, his arms falling limp at his sides and his eyes drifting closed. Terra hesitated. Was it a trap? But, no. Sora was just standing there, completely vulnerable, shoulders rising and falling steadily with panting breaths. Terra steeled himself, then charged again. He wasn't the fastest, and Sora had dodged all of his other attacks with ease. Why wasn't he moving?

 

_ Is he not taking this seriously? _ A bitter little voice in Terra's head suggested snidely.  _ Does he really think that not looking at you will keep you from hitting him? Stupid kid. _ Terra shook the voice away and focused on his target.

 

He still wasn't moving. He  _ still _ wasn't moving.  _ Terra's Keyblade was heading straight for his unprotected shoulder and he still wasn't- _

 

By the time Terra realized what was happening, it was far too late to react. But as his Keyblade whistled through the air, heading for that vulnerable juncture between neck and shoulder, Sora seemed to blink through time. He wove around the strike in what seemed like slow motion, and yet was simultaneously too fast for Terra to really see. One second, Sora was a statue in front of him. The next, before he had even finished his swing, Sora was blurring into existence  _ behind  _ him, and scored several decent hits to Terra's back. Terra stumbled with each strike, and only managed to lash out and force Sora to retreat after several seconds. He  _ whipped  _ around to face Sora, teeth grit in annoyance and pain. 

 

Yet  _ another  _ trick that he had never seen before. Sora had woven around him like water flowing around a rock in a stream, except with such exceptional speed that Terra had barely been able to see him move, let alone try to defend himself. It was frustrating. He had studied tirelessly for years under Master Eraqus, and yet could barely hold a candle to these kids who had been chucked into the life of a Keyblade Wielder without so much as a by-your-leave. 

 

Terra lunged forward, determined to regain his lost advantage. Sora danced around him, a little more bounce in his step now that he had settled on a strategy. He didn't even bother trying to get past Terra's defense anymore, and let the taller man chase him around the arena. The grin on his face only grew, and Terra felt anger begin to fester in his heart.

 

_ He's mocking you _ , that voice whispered.  _ He can see right through you, past the facade and straight to the heart. He sees the false Master you've always been. _

 

"Shut  _ up _ ," Terra growled under his breath, thrusting his Keyblade straight at Sora. Rather than even attempt to dodge, Sora leapt straight up, landing nimbly on the weapon like it was nothing more than a sturdy tree branch. Terra nearly overbalanced, and could do nothing to retaliate when Sora flipped over him, pushing off his shoulders for extra height. Terra spun around, but Sora wasn't there.

 

Once again, Terra took several bruising hits, this time to the side, before he managed to push Sora back. 

 

_ Pathetic. You can't even keep up with a child. _

 

"Shut  _ up!"  _ Terra snarled, a little louder this time, and Sora actually stopped moving and narrowed his eyes in confusion.

 

"Are you okay, Terr-"

 

"Don't you dare stop!" Terra roared, slamming his Keyblade into the ground in a mighty downswing that made cracks appear and spread in all directions, like the ground was made of eggshells instead of stone. Sora stumbled away, staring at the spot where he'd stood just a moment before, where the teeth of Terra's blade were now sunk into the ground. "Your enemies will not give you any pause! You do not show sympathy in a battle!"

 

"I know that," Sora grunted, taking one of Terra's hits at the base of his blade and shunting it off to the side. "But you seem-"

 

"You're distracted! Right now, I'm your enemy, so treat me like one!" Terra stood his ground, brandishing his weapon out to the side. Sora straightened, hesitating for a moment. 

 

But it was just a moment.

 

His expression twisted and became sour, normally bright eyes turning storm dark. It was the face of someone who'd done things he could never return from, faced fears that most people never even knew to be afraid of. It was terror and anger and self-hatred all mixed together. He nodded once, and Terra briefly wondered if he'd just well and truly royally screwed up.

 

"If that's what you want," Sora grumbled, sounding none too pleased. He shifted his weight, settling low to the ground for just a moment. 

 

Then he was  _ gone _ .

 

Sora blurred back into focus right in front of Terra, and Terra took a hit directly to the chest before he could even let out a cry of alarm. He stumbled back, and Sora was  _ right there _ , hounding his every move and forcing him to dance awkwardly around the arena in an attempt to avoid his strikes. He could barely get his Keyblade up in time to block, let alone retaliate.

 

"Is this what you want?" Sora yelled, his Keyblade a blue blur as he swung down at him. Terra managed to block, finally, and Sora was suspended in the air for a moment, held up by the two opposing forces. "Do you even know what you want, Terra?"

 

"What?" the older of the two gasped. Sora flipped away, landing near silently. 

 

_ He's just a  _ **_boy_ ** _ , and you let him speak to you that way?  _ the voice hissed. 

 

"I don't want to fight like this!" Sora begged. "I don't want to hurt you!" 

 

_ He really thinks he can withstand your  _ **_might_ ** _? _

 

_ " _ Less hesitating, more sparring!" Terra commanded. He pushed past the ache lingering in his torso from Sora's many successful attacks, and  _ lunged _ . Once again, Sora flowed around him, almost seeming to use his own momentum against him, and Terra staggered as Sora pressed the attack on his already wounded side. 

 

"I think you're afraid," Sora gasped. Terra locked eyes with him, and the boy took a step back instinctively at what he saw. "Afraid that if you don't prove you can beat me at my best, that you'll have failed somehow." He grit his teeth and stepped forward to his original spot. "Am I right?"

 

"You're getting distracted again," Terra grit out, holding a hand to his side. "Why do you keep losing focus?"

 

"Because you're hurt!" Sora snapped. "And not just because I hit you with a Keyblade, your heart is hurting, too! I can tell!" He glanced warily at Aqua, who was watching with eyes dark with worry. "I… I can feel other people's hearts, sometimes. Ven and Roxas especially, and Vani too, when he's in a good mood. But you… your heart. Terra." He tilted his head to the side, pursing his lips in open concern. "It's filled with… with  _ rage. _ And it scares me. Please, let's just call this off." Sora's eyes shone with alarm, and most dauntingly, that terribly soft sympathy that he showed so freely to those in need. Terra held out a hand to stop his words, but Sora forged on. "I yield, Terra."

 

In that moment, all Terra could see was  _ pity _ .

 

_ He  _ **_mocks_ ** _ you. He's an  _ **_imposter_ ** _ , he doesn't deserve the Keyblade! He  _ **_stole it,_ ** _ he  _ **_took it from the one you chose_ ** _ , you have to  _ **_end him for this!_ **

 

"No," Terra grit out. Whether in response to the voice, or Sora, he wasn't sure. But Sora took it as a denial of his surrender, and he threw his Keyblade to the ground.

 

"I yield!" he cried. "Dammit, Terra, just take the win!" 

 

_ He knows your disgrace. He knows your betrayal. How could a boy so full of light ever truly care for one like you? You are anger, you are my rage awakened. He will forever look at your face and see the face of the enemy.  _

 

"No!" Terra echoed, dropping his Keyblade in favor of holding his head in his hands. Sora stumbled forward, one hand stretched out entreatingly. 

 

 _You killed Eraqus. You let Xehanort use you._ _And he_ **_knows._** _He will always know what you are. He sees your heart. You are a_ ** _monster_** _, and he will destroy you like every other monster he's met._

 

"Terra?" Sora pleaded. "Please, open your eyes. I need to see them." Terra shook his head, teeth grit in a snarl.

 

He was  _ mad _ . Mad at the voice that wouldn't leave him alone, mad at himself for having been such a fool where Xehanort was involved. Mad at Sora, for having seen through him so easily, with the tactless grace of someone who has spent their life fighting the monsters with people's faces. 

 

Mad at the fear in Sora's voice, the way it trembled when he asked to see his eyes. 

 

_ How dare he. _

 

Finally, Terra understood.

 

That was  _ his  _ voice. His own thoughts and feelings, the ones he didn't dare claim, afraid of the looming darkness behind them. His rage, just waiting until it could well up large enough to drown him. And it was. He was drowning in guilt, and anger, and that broiling untapped rage that  _ Xehanort _ had gotten a happy ending, and they all had to live with the scars of his actions. He could feel it, dripping from his eyes and seeping across his skin.

 

Terra opened his eyes, staring directly at the boy who dared challenge his Will. He was Master Terra. And he  _ refused _ to be pitied.

 

~~~~~

 

Sora tensed when Terra dropped his Keyblade. It hit the ground with a clear tolling sound, like the bells at the top of the clock tower. He began to reach forward, hand stretched out towards the older boy he'd just started to get to know, but the roiling waves of  _ anger hate guilt _ that were swirling around Terra forced him back. He cleared his throat, suddenly gripped with a deep sense of foreboding.

 

"Terra?" he called, voice gentle like when he played with the sea turtles back home. "Please, open your eyes. I need to see them." Terra only curled in on himself more, and Sora watched in slowly mounting horror as something oily and dark spread across his skin like spilled ink.

 

"Aqua, whatever you do," Sora commanded lowly, "do  _ not _ let that barrier come down. Keep Ven and Roxas out of this."

 

"Sora, what are you doing?" Roxas hissed, rising to his feet in sudden alarm. "If this is like yo- the other thing, you're gonna need help!"

 

"What other thing?" Aqua demanded, her voice edging towards desperate despite her calm demeanor. "Sora, if you know what's going on, I need you to tell me,  _ now _ ." Sora shook his head sadly, eyes never leaving Terra's hunched form. The other shook and writhed, fighting the hold of whatever demon had him even as it consumed him.

 

"I'm sorry, Aqua, and I promise I'll explain everything later. But you have to promise me, right now, that you won't let that barrier come down until I give the word." Aqua opened her mouth to protest, and Sora stamped his foot, eyes glimmering with subtle strength. "Promise me, Aqua!" She trembled, for just a moment, and set her jaw stubbornly. But they all knew that when it came down to it, Sora was the one with the limitless strength, the one who pulled through when all hope seemed lost.

 

He'd saved them before, he could do it again. So she bowed her head and acquiesced.

 

"I'll keep it up as long as I can," she promised softly. "But… please. Help him. I don't- I can't-"

 

"I know what this is," Sora reassured. "I can handle this." Under his breath, he muttered, "I hope." Roxas pounded his fists on the other side of the barrier, while Ven stared in horror from his seat. He hadn't moved since Terra had dropped his Keyblade, and his eyes were round with fear. Even Vanitas had risen to his feet, teeth bared in an angry snarl, while Chirithy ran as fast as their little legs could carry them to Ven's side.

 

Finally, Terra lifted his head. He locked gazes with the smallest guardian of light, and Sora gasped as he saw his worst fears realized. Two blank, shining orbs of pure amber stared at him, completely eclipsing the warm brown eyes that Sora knew lay underneath. 

 

Sora let Shooting Star fade from his grasp, pulling at the space in his heart where the different forms of his Keyblade resided. In its place, a much deadlier weapon appeared, and Sora let out a steady breath as the might of the Ultima Weapon sang through his veins. He could feel his very being thrumming with light and magic. 

 

Hopefully it would be enough to counter the monster that Terra had become.

 

Terra lunged with a soundless roar, his mouth once again lashed shut. Sora coated himself with light and dashed around him, barely even touching the ground.

 

"Terra, I know you're in there!" he called. "I know your heart is hurting, but you have to let your anger go. You can't let it control you!" Terra swung at him with obsidian claws, and Sora barely ducked out of the way in time. "Terra, I know what it's like! To be so blinded by rage that everything else gets thrown to the side. But you have to be stronger than this!" Every sentence was punctuated by a gasp as Sora dodged another reckless attack.

 

"Terra!" Ven yelled, finally throwing off his shock. "You can beat this! Don't let the darkness win!"

 

"If you give in to this, the old bastard gets what he wanted!" Vanitas snarled, suddenly standing by Ven. Roxas summoned his Keyblades, a silent threat. All the while, Sora wove around the beast that had once been Terra, dodging fang and claw with practiced ease. The longer they fought, the more darkness gathered on his skin, until the silhouette of the wielder they'd all come to care about was completely different. 

 

Sora stared up, and the Guardian stared back. And for a moment, Sora wasn't standing in the courtyard, he wasn't in the world he'd spent the last few days resting and adjusting to his new life in. He was standing on a ruined beach, the detritus of his childhood lying around him. Before him stood a man with callous indifference on his face, and over his shoulder peered what could only be described as a monster. And Sora was a scared child, desperately trying to save whatever was left of his best friend. His breath caught in his throat, and tears sprung to his eyes.

 

_ No. Please, no, anything but this, anything but this nightmare again, I stopped him, I  _ **_saved them-_ **

 

_ "Sora! Don't chase the dream!" _

 

Sora snapped into the present with a gasp, but he wasn't fast enough. Terra- if the monster before him could even still be called that- lunged forward one last time, and sickly smooth claws gripped his face. The Guardian's claws easily curved around his head, and Sora let out a muffled scream as he was lifted off the ground entirely. On instinct he reached up and tried to pry them off, but the beast's grip was unbreakable. Sora kicked and struggled in vain, and he was sobbing in earnest now, overcome with soul chilling fear.

 

Outside the barrier, Vanitas and Roxas both let out inarticulate screams of rage. Aqua grit her teeth against the tears that threatened to overwhelm her. Sora was just a boy, and she'd trapped him in there with…  _ that _ . And Ven simply cried outright, terrified for both of them.

 

It was the sound of Ven's quiet sobs, echoing in his ears, that finally spurred Sora to action. Gritting his teeth against the pain that threatened to split his skull, he summoned the Ultima Weapon back into his hands, and willed it to transform, to grant him the light he so desperately needed. It fought him, groaning at the command. Normally Sora would listen to his weapon's request, would give it to time to charge and prepare for the arduous process of changing form. But, just this once, he ignored its tired voice and forced it to  _ shift _ . Terra reared back, releasing Sora without warning, and covered his eyes against the burst of light that shone forth. And Sora floated above the ground, holding a sword made of light and stardust, and narrowed his eyes at Terra.

 

"I won't let it take you," he promised lowly. He raised the sword, pointed it straight forward at his opponent. "I won't-"

 

Sora fell to the ground and screamed. 

 

The transformation fell away in bits and pieces, shards of light like broken glass scattering away. The sword fragmented back into its three parts, and the shards reformed around them to create the Ultima's distinctive shape. But it was cracked and lopsided, dull where it had once shone crimson. Sora gasped and heaved, feelling acutely the rupture in his heart where the Keyblade had been tied.

 

Well, now he knew why it was a bad idea to force a transformation.

 

It was on shaky legs that he rose again, barely able to hold on to his broken weapon. And the Guardian let out a screech, broken and breathy so that if you listened just right it could almost be called a laugh.

 

Sora stared wearily at the ball of darkness it had begun to conjure, and all at once he wished he had come up with a better plan than the one that had broken his Keyblade and his heart besides. But, he could still work with the hand he'd been dealt. He didn't have a reliable weapon, but he could still dodge.

 

"Sora!" Aqua called, voice truly panicked now. "If that orb hits the barrier, I don't think I'll be able to keep it up!"

 

Okay, retract the previous statement. He was screwed and the whole world had gone to shit.

 

But rather than let that sentiment show on his face, Sora put on a steady grin, and flashed her a thumbs up. Terra took the orb that was already half as big as Sora and flung it forward, and Sora braced himself accordingly. He raised his Keyblade, wincing at the grey and broken teeth of it. There was no way it would be able to counter an attack like this.

 

At the last second, Sora dropped the Keyblade entirely, and it clattered to the floor with the sound of rusted wind chimes. Instead, he raised his open palms to the attack, and let it have its merry way with him. With any luck, there'd still be something left of him once the darkness was done.

 

Deaf to the alarmed yells of his audience, Sora felt it the moment that shadow made contact, and let out a tiny cry of pain. Smoke choked him, invaded his lungs, crawled down his veins. Every part of him worked overtime to take in the darkness, and Sora gritted his teeth against the emotions it inevitably brought.

 

_ He's weak. He couldn't even control his darkness. You really think he's worthy to be here with you? _

 

_ He attacked you. Did he ever even consider you a friend? _

 

_ The others aren't going to save you. They'll leave you to die, slowly and alone, and they'll forget you. _

 

_ You never mattered. To any of them. _

 

_ You're a curse. Your heart is a burden, a  _ **_prison_ ** _. Why would they ever care about someone as despicable as you? _

 

"I don't answer to you," Sora growled, opening his eyes to the harsh sunlight. The darkness flowed around him like water on oil, and sank harmlessly into the ground. The voice howled and raged, then sank back into silence. 

 

Terra stared, actually shocked into stillness by how easily Sora had neutralized the attack. Sora gave him no time to recover, and leapt forward, slipping easily under Terra's panicked swipe of his claws. He reached up and grabbed the edge of the bandages that secured his mouth shut, and  _ ripped _ them off, ignoring the screech that Terra let out. He placed his hands against the smooth planes of his chest.

 

"You answer to no one but yourself, Terra," Sira whispered. "And it's time to fight  _ back _ ." Stopping that orb had given him an idea. Just like Riku, he had developed a sort of immunity to the darkness, though his was a lot more tenuous than the older boy's, and could swing from immunity right back around to weakness. He could only hope that this wasn't going to end very badly. 

 

He reached with his heart, reached until he could hear Terra's heartbeat, small and subdued. Then he reached for the edge of the darkness that muffled his friend's pulse and  _ yanked _ it away, gathering it into his hands like yarn. Darkness unraveled from his friends form and flowed into Sora, and Sora opened his heart to take in whatever he couldn't shunt off towards the open air.

 

He drowned, slowly, but he did not relent until Terra's heartbeat was loud and firm under his palm. And even then he didn't truly halt until every last scrap of darkness he could find was gone, obliterated in his search.

 

Terra, dazed and confused but  _ whole _ , fell to his knees before him, and Sora, exhausted, did the same. The barrier around them slowly faded, and all of the others came running to their sides.

 

"Sora. Sora? Sora, look at me!" Roxas demanded. Sora turned tired eyes on his Other, and did not protest when strong fingers took hold of his chin, turning his head this way and that as he was inspected. Roxas released him slowly, anger fading to concern. "Sora? How did you do that? What  _ did _ you do?" The brunet let out a breathless laugh, and held up his palm. Underneath the pale, vulnerable skin of his inner wrist, his veins were a sickly grey. 

 

"It'll fade eventually," he said softly, unable to find the strength even to raise his voice. "I'm just gonna be a nervous wreck for a little while." On his other side, Ven was rubbing his back soothingly, and Sora was too tired to even pretend that he didn't like it. Behind them, Vanitas rocked from foot, to foot, holding a distressed Chirithy. His face was twisted in a grimace, but nothing could hide the concern in his eyes.

 

Terra groaned, leaning into Aqua's embrace. Sora looked at him, eyes drooping with pain and exhaustion. He stared back blankly, eyes narrowing as he tried to parse through his jumbled thoughts.

 

"What… what just happened? What did I…?" His gaze settled on Sora, and horrified recognition began to set in. "No," he choked out, brown eyes shining like honey in the sunlight, just a few shades away from the lurid yellow they had been moments before. Sora winced against his will, and turned his head away. He wasn't strong enough right now, not with the voice whispering his worst fears in a never ending stream. 

 

"It's okay, Terra," Aqua murmured. "Sora brought you back. It's okay. You don't have to worry anymore."

 

"It's not that simple," Terra whispered, sounding  _ broken _ . "Aqua, I… I'm so sorry. I can't… I shouldn't be here. Not when that thing can just,  _ show up _ whenever it wants-"

 

"Terra." Sora kept his gaze and his tone firm, despite the weariness pulling at his bones. "That wasn't your fault." He opened his mouth to say more, to explain, but fear stopped him.

 

He'd never told anyone about his own brushes with darkness. Never told them how sometimes the rage overtook him when he was too weak to say no, how his eyes burned crimson with killing intent. Donald and Goofy knew, because they'd been with him for almost every second of his journey, and Roxas knew, for pretty much the same reason. But other than that? It was a closely guarded secret. Sora couldn't bear to tell them that the boy who'd saved them all was hiding a monster behind his eyes.

 

"It was my fault," Terra grit out. "I should have stopped it. I  _ knew _ that voice was wrong, I  _ knew _ I was being manipulated, and I- I gave in anyways. I put you all in danger." He closed his eyes, fighting back the tears that threatened to overwhelm him.

 

"But Terra," Ven whispered, "Sora beat it. It's okay now, right? It's gone now." Terra laughed, a low, broken sound.

 

"That thing will never truly be gone. It will haunt me for the rest of my life." Sora sniffled, wrapping his arms around himself. He knew all too well how that felt. "And that's- that's why…"

 

"Terra," Aqua murmured soothingly.

 

"That's why I will no longer train to become a Master. Not when every second I spend here is another second I put you all in danger." 

 

The silence that spread out over the courtyard was deafening. No one even dared breathe. 

 

Except for Vanitas, who let out an unamused scoff and turned to go, setting Chirithy down as he did. Sora tried to lean forward towards Terra, to offer some encouragement, but Roxas had a death grip on his shoulders. Sora placed one hand over his Other's, eyes entreating. With great reluctance, Roxas let him go.

 

"Terra," Sora began, choosing his words carefully. "You can't let this stop you."  _ I couldn't afford to let it stop me.  _ "This doesn't make you a monster."  _ If it does, then I'm one, too. _ "This doesn't mean you're any less worthy of being a Master."  _ If you walk away now, I might never be able to forgive myself. _

 

"Sora…" Terra let out a harsh sigh, his hands clenching into fists. "You of all people shouldn't so easily forgive me for this. You've seen what darkness does in the hands of people who can't control it. I'm  _ not _ worthy of being a Master. Not like this." 

 

Sora could feel his heart breaking at the haunted look in Terra's eyes. And besides that, bitter guilt rose up in his throat, threatening to strangle him. He couldn't… he couldn't keep his secret like this. Not when Terra's had been flung out before all of them. Sora hadn't stopped crying since he began, but a fresh wave of sobs shook him where he kneeled, and Terra turned his tired gaze on him in alarm.

 

"If you're not worthy," Sora sobbed, eyes squeezed shut against the terrified tears, "then I'm not either. If that monster makes you evil, then I'm evil too."

 

"Sora, what are you saying?" Aqua whispered, horrified. Sora steeled himself, forced himself to say the words that he had danced around for so long.

 

"I'm saying that Terra isn't the only one who's gotten lost in his own darkness," Sora whispered. "Sometimes I turn into a monster, too." 

 

"That doesn't make you a monster," Roxas insisted. " _ Or  _ Terra." 

 

"Is this that  _ other thing _ you mentioned before?" Aqua demanded. "You- you turn into-"

 

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Roxas snarled, curling around Sora protectively. "Are you really going to condemn them when all of us have fallen to darkness in some way?" Aqua flinched back, and though she tried to stand her ground she couldn't hold his intense gaze.

 

"Maybe I am being hypocritical," she murmured. "But this darkness… we can't just brush it aside. This is  _ serious _ ." 

 

"I'm not asking you to brush it off, Aqua," Sora pleaded. "But please, don't blame Terra. It's not his fault. It took me months to learn how to control it, and he's only just gotten free. It's going to take time."

 

"You…" Terra wheezed. "You  _ control  _ it? You can harness that- that demon?" Sora flinched as he faced the man who had first given Riku the Keyblade- who had in many ways facilitated their involvement in this war. The man who had been trapped under Xehanort's control for longer than anyone else.

 

"Yes," he admitted. "I- ever since I woke up, that year I missed, I- there were times I would lose myself to the darkness. Turn into a monster with no self control or direction aside from destroying everything I could get my hands on."

 

"That's not true," Roxas grumbled. "You've never hurt a single innocent person, not even when you turned into that form. You've only ever attacked Heartless and the occasional unfortunate Nobody. The Dusks aren't exactly friendship material anyways." 

 

"Then why did I attack you?" Terra cried. "Why would I- if this darkness can be controlled, why am I so weak? You're different, Sora. You're bright in a way I can never be again. Of  _ course _ you found a way to beat it. You're  _ you. _ " 

 

"C'mon, Terra," Ven whispered. "You're not a lost cause, so stop acting like one. We can figure this out."

 

"Besides," Sora mentioned, forcing his voice louder to make sure he was heard. "That's pretty high praise from the person who managed to single handedly turn the tides in the fight against Xehanort."

 

"I didn't-"

 

"Trust me," Sora whispered, eyes haunted by the memory of a world he could never, ever atone for. "You did." The others all gazed at him in confusion, but he offered no explanation. For once, not even Roxas could provide an answer for that. "And you are stronger than anyone else I have ever known. I remember-" his voice failed him, and he choked on the lump in his throat. "I remember," he continued, quieter this time, "Xehanort dragging my heart down. Pulling me so far into my dream that I couldn't fight him off. I could  _ feel  _ what he was about to do to me, could see and hear them all around me. But I couldn't do anything. I wasn't strong enough to fight back. I had to be saved, because I was  _ weak _ . I almost let Xehanort win, then, and if I had, then none of you would have ever gotten to come home. Roxas and Xion would still be trapped in my heart, and Vanitas would have been trapped as Xehanort's pawn forever." He paused, drew in a breath.

 

"I almost failed all of you, because I was weak."

 

"Sora, you didn't-"

 

"Let me finish, Terra, I have a point," Sora snapped. Terra backed off, holding his hands up in surrender, and Sora continued. "I'm not bright in the way you think I am. Whatever light I have has been broken, and beaten, and torn away from me time and time again. I've had to build myself up from scratch, over and over, because whatever strength I managed to gain was stolen from me. And I've failed, fallen into their traps, time and time again, and people have almost gotten hurt because of it. But you… you did what I couldn't. You clawed your way up out of the darkness, fought off Xehanort's hold on you, all to protect your friends. You saved all of us." Sora wiped his eyes, his bravado all dried up. "And every time I slip up, I… I try to find ways to encourage myself. And every time, I think of you. Because if you were strong enough to overcome everything, maybe… maybe one day I can too." 

 

"Sora, I'm not-" Terra began, overwhelmed. He spread his hands out helplessly. "I'm not a good role model. You shouldn't look up to me."

 

"Maybe not," Sora admitted with an empty laugh. "But you're my hero, Terra. Maybe that's just residual stuff leftover from Ven. Maybe I'm just a fool, like I've always been. But that doesn't change the fact that you will always be one of the strongest people I've ever known." He giggled a little bit. "Not  _ the _ strongest, though. Riku would throw a fit if I moved him from the number one spot." 

 

Terra watched him, brown eyes warm with an emotion that couldn't truly be expressed with words. And when he leaned forward to pull Sora close, he leaned forward happily, burying his face in the taller boy's shoulder.

 

"Thank you," Terra whispered. "For believing in me." Sora threw his arms around Terra's neck, holding on for all he was worth.

 

"Us vessels gotta stick together, yeah?" he mumbled. Exhaustion pulled at his bones, his limbs, made him slump against the other in a limp sprawl. He let out a mumbled protest as Terra ponderously rose to his feet, keeping his arms around Sora and taking him with him. 

 

"I think that was enough training for today, Aqua," Terra mentioned, sending a significant look towards the broken Keyblade still lying where Sora had dropped it. "We can… we can figure this all out tomorrow." He faced her with his jaw set, though his eyes flickered with worry as to what she would say.

 

"Terra, I-" She let out a heavy sigh. "You know how the Master felt about using darkness. And you know I would rather just put all of this behind us."

 

"Aqua…" Ven murmured, holding Chirithy close against his chest. Aqua's eyes softened, ever so gently.

 

"But we live in a different world than the one the Master grew up in. And we have to conduct ourselves differently as a result." She let a tiny smile spread across her face. "You're my friend, Terra. If anyone can find the strength to control this, it's you." She smiled down at Sora, who was already almost asleep in his hold. "And Sora, of course, who's the strongest of all of us."

 

"Damn right," Roxas muttered petulantly. "If you had been about to pull some bullshit about him not being worthy anymore I would have just taken him and left. He doesn't need anyone else telling him he's not good enough."

 

"Roxas!" Ven yelped. "That's not- Aqua wouldn't!"

 

"I can still hear you," Sora grumbled. "I wasn't going anywhere. 'M still not. 'M staying right here and becoming a Master."

 

"For now," Roxas grumbled. "You're on thin fucking ice, though."

 

"Language," Aqua scolded automatically. For a moment, there was silence as the little group made their way back up to the castle. Ven was the first to laugh, and soon they were all chuckling at the apparent non sequitur.

 

"You can't make me do anything!" Sora turned his head to glare balefully at Roxas. "If I didn't feel like I'd been run over by a truck, I'd smack you."

 

"Yeah, well, seeing as you look like you were run over by  _ several _ trucks, that'll have to wait," Roxas teased. His voice grew more serious. "I can't believe you actually told them, though. I thought you said you were gonna take that secret to your grave?"

 

"There were more important things to worry about." Sora shifted a little and sighed. "I can handle a little suspicion. It's my own fault for making use of it instead of pushing it away."

 

"Don't worry about it right now, Sora," Aqua soothed. "You haven't done anything wrong. Neither of you have." She sent an apologetic look at Terra. "Old worries, I guess." Terra smiled in return, shifting his grip on Sora as he went up the stairs.

 

"I don't blame you," he murmured. "But we'll figure this out. Together." Aqua nodded, shoulders slumping in relief. 

 

"Together," she agreed. Even Ven relaxed. He'd been so worried that they would start fighting like they had before, when their life was haunted by mysterious darkness and the ghosts of a life long past. 

 

Looks like Sora had saved them again, just by being himself. The boy in question finally fell asleep, wounded both physically and spiritually by the arduous duel. But he'd be okay. They'd all be okay. And really, what more could any of them ask for?

 

"You finally done being stupid?" Vanitas griped as they made their way in the massive doors. Aqua shot him a look, but Roxas for once looked like he agreed with Sora's darker twin.

 

"Yeah, we're done," Ven informed him. "Wanna go get the lounge set up? We're gonna chill for the rest of the day, give Sora a chance to recuperate."

 

"I'm not your fuckin slave," Vanitas spat, even as he turned to go do as he was asked. Ven hid a smile. Whenever it came to Sora, he was awfully compliant. Roxas snorted in amusement.

 

"Don't even start," Ven teased. "You're just as bad."

 

"At least I admit it," Roxas teased right back. "How long till he realizes he's just as weak to the puppy eyes as the rest of us?"

 

"I give it a few more weeks." Ven glanced up at Sora, who was well and truly asleep, now. "Unless Sora does something endearing like lean on him while he sleeps."

 

"That would do it," Roxas agreed with a laugh. He elbowed Ven. "You think we'll ever wield that kind of power?"

 

"Hush, you two," Aqua scolded. "You'll wake him up." Both blonds shrank in embarrassment. Ven was the first to gather the courage to speak again.

 

"Aqua, you're still gonna help train Sora, right? You're not gonna drop him as an apprentice because of all of this?" Beside him, Roxas tensed. Aqua looked off to the side, lips pursed.

 

"I'm not dropping him," she stated firmly. "The fault doesn't lie with him. Or with anyone." She smiled at Terra. "I think it's high time we well and truly put the past behind us. No more biases, no more assumptions. We'll just take things as they come. Okay?"

 

The others all nodded in agreement. Sora let out a quiet snore, blissfully unaware of the old arguments he'd narrowly helped them avoid. The future was open to them, rife with possibilities.

 

And the boy who'd opened it to them all slept peacefully.


End file.
